BY DANIEL IDONOR

ABUJA – The weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting Wednesday, approved the grant of provisional licences to four new private universities across the country.

The approval of the four institutions which are to sited in Kwara, Edo, Osun states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, was presided over by Vice President, Namadi Sambo.

The Minister of Education, Professor Rukayat Rufai, announced the government’s decision State House Correspondents after the FEC, the 7th edition for the year, which lasted for over an hour.

She listed the four new universities as Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara State, Samuel Adegboyega University, Ogwa, Edo State, Adeleke University, Ede, Osun state and Baze University, Abuja.

Rufai said the approval is as a result of the increasing demand for university education by the teeming Nigerian youths and the inability of the existing universities to meet the demand.

According to her, “this administration has realized that there is need for the establishment of more private universities by credible individuals and organization to complement government efforts towards the provision of greater access to tertiary education.

“Four proprietors have therefore indicated intention to establish private universities and they have satisfied the requirements as contained in Act 9 of 1993 for the establishment of private universities.

“The new universities would be mentored by older universities”, she said.